Preston Gates' Comeback

Lobbying revenues more than double, post-Jack.

A dramatic turnaround for once-humbled and erstwhile-known Preston Gates Ellis law and lobbying firm of Seattle: Its D.C. lobbying revenues took a tumble when star arm-twister Jack Abramoff left in 2001, then suffered from the blowback of the investigations that led to a fraud and conspiracy conviction last year for work in part performed while at PGE - since merged and known as K&L Gates. It was riding high in 1999 with more than $11 million in billings, but fell to just over $5 million in 2002 as the Abramoff story began bleeding out, eventually taking him down along with other lobbyists, administration officials and members of Congress. But today, according to the money watchdog Center for Responsive Politics, K&L Gates has rallied to almost $13 million in 2006 billings, ranking 14th among D.C. lobbying firms. That's modest compared to the leader, Cassidy & Associates with $236 million, but a more-than-doubling nonetheless (K&L, before the PGE merger, had only a small lobbying operation). Additionally, K&L Gates' 2007 mid-year lobbying disclosure filings from a few weeks ago show the upward trend continuing and new clients added. Among the reported 6-month revenues: $100,000 from Microsoft (which also has its own lobbying force) to push for immigration reform (ex-Sen. and now K&L lobbyist Slade Gorton helped on that one) and $100,000 from Weyerhauser and $80,000 from Starbucks, both seeking tax breaks. Other K&L lobbying clients include the Port of Seattle, Pierce County and the Seattle Art Museum, which is seeking federal funds for its Asian Art Museum.